09 tacoma IFS "clack"...why?

09 taco 4x
Front Bilstein 5100 lift shox set at second from top ring groove
SPC Light Racing upper control arms (1° positive caster)

I just went from stock 16" wheels to 17" LT265/70/R17 tires too
Now when I hit a GD bump hard enough there is this terrible metal on metal "CLACK" sound that sounds like its coming from the front suspension somewhere.
It sounds bad fo sho.
So I took out the diff drop. ... same noise still.
ive been looking around the front end a lot for some indication of wear.
Coil bind?
Diff to oil pan?
Anyone?

 

pads shifting in the caliper?

 

I know you say it's coming from the front end but a lot of times a clack sound can be from a broken leaf in the rear springs slapping around. I'd take a careful look at your rear springs just to be sure.

 

Ok. I'll check the leafs.
The suspension is quiet over all small to medium bumps but big hits cause that terrible metal on metal clacking.

 

Are the coils contacting the sway bar ?

 

I would go back and tighten everything you took off.

 

The leafs look fine. But I did see that psgr side front isolation pad is worn off now. But the timing of the front end impact and the noise makes me certain its a front end issue. Skid?
I checked the sway to coils area and can't see any wear or scuffed dirt. The clack is so hard that I'd expect chipped or at least scratched paint where the contact is happening.
I appreciate all the suggestions tho. Keepem coming

 

What about where the swaybar mounts to the frame? The bushing could be worn and there is some steel to steel contact on harder bumps.

 

Check the skid plate bolts to make sure they are snug. The sway bar has the metal collars by the bushings to limit their side to side travel, I'd check those to see if they are maybe making contact. Check the swaybar end links for play. Check the rubber insulator on top of the coils, and make sure the front shock's bottom bolt is snug. Look at the where to coil starts on top and ends on the bottom to see if it looks o.k. Check the lug nuts. Just brainstorming some ideas.

Did you do anything else recently? Was there any noise before? Is this the first time you have heard it at all, or did it just get louder after the lift?

The only other thing I can think of is maybe your steering linkage where it goes into the rack. If you can get under it with the TRUCK OFF and the KEY in the ignition have someone shake the wheel back and forth while you hold onto the steering shaft and feel and listen for play.

 

I've taken this rough road with big dips many times before and after the new wheels. Never a clack whatsoever before the new wheels and tires. There have been no other adjustments between the days of silence and the days of CLACK.
Im going to focus on the sway bar and tie rod ends and coils when I'm off work.
The skid is snug since I just reinstalled it taking out the diff drop (post clack). It was snug then and it's snug now. And now there is extra clearance between the plate and diff mount bolts.

 

So it looks like it might be the sway bar contacting the frame to bumper rails when it swings way down. If this is the spot I still dont understand why this would happen since the clearance is stock.... would a bilstein lift somehow affect this?

 

I could be wrong, but the sway bar shouldn't contact the frame rails. Check the collars on each side of the sway bar just inside of the bushings, and see if they are equal distance from the bushing. I think mine are about 1/8 of an inch off the bushing without looking. Its probably more likely the sway bar is coming into contact with the bottom of the coil. I have seen several posts about that.

I have the billies at the same setting you do with everything else up front stock, and dont have any issues with the sway bar, but I'm running stock size rims and tires.

You could remove the sway bar to confirm your suspicions, but with all the salt on your roads they probably wont come off easy. I ended up cutting one of my end links off with a sawzall when I removed mine. Heat or penetrating lube probably would have done it, but I didn't possess the required patience.

 

For anyone trying to diagnose front end clack, mine turned out to be the SPC upper control arm bushing sleeves. I contacted SPC and they sent a revised set of sleeves. I installed the sleeves and the nasty metal on metal clack sound is completely gone. Apparently the previous 4-washer bushing configuration would bind when hot. The revision instructs you to retain only 2 of the original washers (outer).

 

Sway bar bushings. I had a clunk, not metal on metal like you, but a clunk that turned out to be sway bar bushings. yours could be more worn than mine, giving you metal on metal sound. cheap and pretty easy fix!

 

He fixed the issue and is reporting back

Good job op, most people don't reopen their thread to tell everyone else what the deal was. I have a metal on metal clack that I can't get rid of but I'm running TC UCAs, I will check the bushings anyway. Enjoy your green bars.

 

GRATS

 

Facepalm indeed. didnt notice that was the OP. Glad you got it fixed!!!!